MOBILE GAME REVIEW
Prince of Persia: The Two ThronesTwo Princes. Except better than that Spin Doctors song |
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If Prince Charles thinks he has it hard waiting for mum to shuffle off into retirement, he should try being a Prince in Persia.
There, the role is less about growing organic jam and having your bum wiped by courtiers, and more about rope swinging, swordfighting and spiked-pit-leaping. Frankly, Charles would struggle. Although we reckon Camilla could probably manage it.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is the latest and best in Gameloft's middle-eastern action adventure series. It sees you performing your usual leapy fighty heroism in order to defeat an evil Vizier who's trying to steal your throne.
However, the twist for this game is that the Prince has an alter ego, the Dark Prince, who's like a more interesting emo version of the game's hero, complete with his own chainlike weapon. Alternating between the two Princes adds spice to what could be familiar platform action.
And yet, what action. The strong point of the Prince of Persia games has always been its visuals, and it's no different here. Although 2D, the scenery looks truly luscious, while the animation as the Prince leaps, hacks and slashes through the levels is among the best you'll see on a mobile game.
Just in case you didn't notice, Gameloft has put in plenty of bits to show it off, with the Prince sliding down ropes and crashing onto enemies. It's not just a hack-'em-up either – you can sneak up behind enemies and kill them stealthily, in an assassin stylee.
The controls are easy to get to grips with, particularly as most actions are handled using the '5' key, which changes its use depending on the context. The game does hold your hand in some places, however, with '5' triggering an action sequence that ends in you killing someone without really feeling you've controlled it.
A welcome new inclusion in this game is the chariot racing mini-game that pops up every so often in between levels. You have to ride through the streets of Babylon (why not the rivers, we wonder?), avoiding obstacles and seeing off enemy riders. These events don't last very long, but break up the platform action nicely.
As action-platformers go on mobile phones, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is up there with the very best. It could be longer – experienced gamers will rattle through it fairly quickly – but the visuals and variety show that Gameloft has opted for quality rather than quantity.
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Gameloft has crafted another action-platformer fit for a prince
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